When it becomes a reality in 2019, believe that with the Hilux GR Sport, Toyota has finally created a competitor for the Ford Ranger Raptor.
Not gunning for the Raptor
However, that is not the case. As expected, Toyota, at the launch of the GR Sport and Legenda 50 in Botswana that year, emphatically stated that the rugged Hilux had not been developed as a Raptor competitor.
Predictably, this fell on deaf ears as the majority of buyers, who took one of the 600 examples produced, believed they had bought a Raptor alternative despite Toyota’s stance on the matter.
Also read: WATCH: Hilux GR-S gives Ranger and Isuzu a bloody nose
With the introduction of the new GR Sport last year, they won with Toyota once again emphasizing that despite the modified suspension and more powerful 2.8 GD-6 engine, comparison with the new, now gasoline-powered Raptor should not be made.
While this logic may not fit the GR Sport that was announced in Australia earlier this month, which many South Africans will look at with envy and perhaps anger at Toyota for launching it here when they know all about what it is preparing for. , the straightforward truth is that GR Sport South Africa is not designed for Raptor battles.
However, it was created to strike a balance between on-road and off-road use with additional power, but without extremes like the Ford.
Gerotek report
However, while some South Africans will continue to consider it a Raptor alternative, the conclusion of our tenure with the GR Sport during the festive season after beating the Isuzu D-Max V-Cross at Gerotek last year was fourth fastest. -cylinder bakkie Road Test Editor Mark Jones has been tested, the description can still play the same but, when necessary, in the rough.
Not long after the success of Gerotek, the KV 95 KV GP was packed for the journey down to the Eastern Cape and later, more than 300 km jaunt to the Garden Route.
Double use of styling
As reported last month, the 1 062 km drive from Johannesburg to my hometown of Despatch saw an impressive record of 7.2 L / 100 km after prolonged mention with dual-zone climate control turned on and Adaptive Cruise Control involved.
Found in the default drive mode setting, Eco is an option that is never selected as a result of this writer for any mode, the Graphite Gray GR Sport 2,029 kg does not remember the long distance as it has reached the coast after being surprised. agile and up to the task of the daunting Olifantskop Pass located some 50 km outside Nelson Mandela Bay.
The dawn of light the next day allows a better and more precise view of the GR Sport which, despite the gloomy color choice, produces the same conclusion as what Ford victimized with the original version of the now discontinued Ranger FX4.
In addition to the aesthetic results of Gazoo Racing, Toyota has been wiser with the GR Sport transformation of the Raider based on many decals and the original matte black bonnet came out with it.
With a gray background, the finishing touch that identifies it as a member of the GR Sport family is still prominent, but it could be better and better executed while still looking macho.
The interior is hits and misses
The opposite applies to the interior although Toyota has gone a bit flamboyant with the inclusion of GR starter buttons, red side bolsters and stitching on the seats, GR badged steering wheel, GR embroidered front headrests, alloy pedals, black piano key inserts and fake carbon. fiber inserts on the door and dashboard, the latter underlined by a red strip.
Although seen with a sense of disdain, its adaptive nature works well to add color and sportiness to an interior that is aging faster than ever when viewed next to the new Ranger and its twin Volkswagen Amarok.
The center is an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system design some observers pointed out looks like an old television screen mounted on the dash.
With the new Toyota model, it is not the most cutting-edge and when it is dated in the graphics department and the ability to play more than 300 songs from external devices, it is not okay and does not feature Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
In the gravel trap?
Besides the main talking point 165kW / 550Nm engine 2.8 GD-6 now produces, the second is the specific GR shock mono-tube and coil spring that divides the opinion by all who experienced.
Slightly tilted towards off-road use, the setup makes for a really good ride on the tar like the previous generation Hilux models that felt rock hard and unforgiving. While not out of place, what is noticeable is the amount of lean through the corners compared to the standard Hilux.
This, together with the raised rear end that shows the appearance of a nose-heavy type, came to further questions from the owner of GR Sport in England who, when he saw pictures of the KV 95 KV GP on social media, asked if the April flood at the Prospecton Factory in Durban could have a negative impact against the design of the suspension because he is too much through the corners.
Areas that may need to be monitored further forward, the promise of a layout that shows talent on the gravel takes an initial turn that is uncomfortable when, during the Hilux’ stay along the Garden Route, it is assigned with a surface that does not require a switch to four-wheel-drive because used every day as a farm road.
As a means to ensure stability though, some high 4WD is selected and in a few seconds from hitting the gravel, the GR Sport begins to wallow and slide even at the indicated speed of 80 km/h.
As unnerving is the response of the suspension to bumps and ruts as it makes the Hilux veer in the opposite direction and almost out of control. Strangely, this never happened on the other gravel road that the GR Sport did shortly before returning to Johannesburg.
…not
There is no instability or reluctance to stay in a straight line in 4H, the only conclusion that can be established is the potential condition of the road as the former has degraded more than the latter due to more use.
On softer gravel, the GR Sport comes into its own because the ride is not only better, but better than on asphalt that is not at the level of firmness or rolling.
As Toyota has also fiddled with the six-speed automatic gearbox, this, along with the PWR mode and extra grunt, made for a powerful combination on the gravel as the GR Sport, literally, wakes-up at the first point of questioning.
Although it is believed to take the jump with the same verve as the Raptor, laughing in the face of the danger of potholes that littered the R57 between Johannesburg and Bethlehem on the return run after visiting said city.
Up and down
All the while, racy dress seats provide enough support, while inside is enough with only tall passengers complaining about the irritation of the usual double cab that rear headroom.
In fact, one of the biggest distractions that exists throughout the GR Sports one month and 4 800 km of the degree, there is a cruise control stalk jutting-out of the steering column. Toyota’s main design, not only is very dated, but looks aftermarket and out of place.
Equally disappointing are the lack of rear passenger air vents and the excellent sound. Other welcome additions are the new double cab from the sliding rear window, the tonneau cover that looks easy to remove and put back on when the GR Sport is tasked with hauling the bed, cupholders below the front vents and a cool upper glovebox. .
As for the drivetrain itself, the extra punch sends a wide mid-range blow time as a small amount of noticeable low-down lag.
Once in the song though, the gradual pull becomes increased only interrupted by the gear shift which, as Mark explained after Gerotek, will not automatically change when in manual mode and the PWR setting engages – something unusual in most bakkies that only add to the GR Sport appeal that has designed to be sporty not only in name.
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the Hilux GR Sport is its fuel consumption. Unsurprisingly, it didn’t stay at 7.2 L/100 km for long but back to Toyota registering 8.4 L/100 km which is still very good.
Conclusion
The question “has Toyota cracked with the new Hilux GR Sport” is something that comes up many times during the festive season and which always has a contrasting answer.
While some will lament the existence of the Australian model, the quieter version will take a back seat dynamically as it can be used on and off road without the same restrictions Down Under.
At R891 900, the Hilux GR Sport is out of the public’s reach and yes, although it’s cheaper than the Raptor, it certainly doesn’t stand out in the context of the competition as described earlier.
However, when viewed in the framework of the Hilux, it is a different story and if the logic of super light cars “less is more” will be applied, without a comparative price increase, the GR Sport is really the definition of a bakkie of the Eurobeat genre Song, Power and Glory.